Green Day are in full promotional blitz mode to support their just released new studio album, Saviors. In addition to talk show and radio appearances, the veteran pop-punk trio also went undercover, and underground, to film a bit for The Tonight Show earlier this week with host Jimmy Fallon in a New York City subway station.
The surprise concert was extensively documented on social media by the many fans who crowded onto the 50th Street station platform to watch the band rip through some classics and new songs. But on Thursday night (Jan. 18), Fallon finally aired the official footage from the punk pop-up on his show, beginning with the group and the host setting up to busk while wearing adorably unconvincing disguises.
If the lighting rigs and cameras didn’t give away the bit, surely Fallon’s flowing blonde weird beard and matching shoulder-length cascade of crimped hair and drummer Tré Cool’s unconvincing soul patch beard and nerd glasses tipped some eagle-eyed fans off. The quartet warmed up commuters with a run through Bad Company’s 1975 power ballad “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” with Fallon handling lead vocals and tambourine.
Singer Billie Joe Armstrong — rocking a fake blonde mustache, green wool beanie and red shades — sang backup and strummed an acoustic guitar for the swaying crowd as it swelled upon recognition of the one-of-a-kind subway surprise. Fallon drew huge cheers as he ripped off his disguise and the band tore into a raucous, acoustic run through their beloved 1994 smash “Basket Case” with the host sharing a mic with bassist Mike Dirnt and adding backing vocals and tambourine during the commute-destroying gig.
The show also posted a bonus online-only nine-minute extended video featuring runs through the new Saviors songs “Dilemma” and “Look Ma, No Brains!” and another classic, “American Idiot.” On the latter, Billie Joe once again poked followers of one-term former president Donald Trump with his by-now-familiar lyrical eye poke at the “MAGA agenda,” a line the mass of strap hangers lustily shouted along to in the midst of a campaign season in which the four-times indicted Trump is daily bouncing between courtrooms and campaign events.
Green Day’s 14th album is out today (Jan. 19) and the group is gearing up to hit the road this summer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their major label debut, Dookie, and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot by playing both albums in full on a massive stadium tour that kicks off its North American leg on July 29 in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park; Rancid, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Linda Lindas will open the North American shows.
Watch the subway show below.